Springfield Pride celebrates third year, first pride walk

Springfield Pride celebrated its third annual Pride with a walk this year.

“We want more visibility,” said co-founder Shelley Campbell. “We want more. We want people in the community to see us, to know that we’re here, to know that they’re safe. There is a space for them.”

Springfield Pride walked down Dugald Road, which was an important aspect of Pride this year as it was a way to be visible when Campbell and co-founder Kristin Whent felt that the LBGTQ+ community was being held back.

What prompted the walk was Springfield council denying the Springfield Pride organization’s request to fly the LGBTQ+ flag outside the RM office, something Pride organizers had been doing for the past two years since its inception.

Council told Campbell and Whent it had changed the RM’s policy on raising flags other than the national, provincial, and municipal flags because it might cause hate groups to ask to raise their flags.

This change moved the duo to do the Pride walk and make the LGBTQ+ community visible to the Springfield community.

One person who is representing the LGBTQ+ community in Springfield is Christine Darbel, a trans woman, who shared her story beginning with her life in an Albertan town where if you were different you were an outcast. This led to her feeling afraid about how different she felt inside and she carried shame with her for decades.

She medically transitioned in 2024 and socially transitioned in 2025.

“The kids growing up in Springfield now live in a better time. The world is more inclusive, and the new generations of parents are more willing to understand the differences in their children, although our community is far from perfect. There is a societal drive to steer people away from queerness and towards heteronormativity because it is the norm. It’s up to us to make the new normal,” she shared with the crowd that had gathered.

She told The Carillon that Dugald has been a very good community for her to live in, but it was hard for her to transition in the community and at work. She thought about leaving, but decided it was important to have representation in the community.

“But everywhere else and in Winnipeg, I have found my people, my like-minded queer and allies. And it’s been really wonderful and I would never go back and change anything,” she said.

Darbel, who also sits on the Springfield Pride board, felt the march was a great way for the LGBTQ+ community to be visible.

“I’m really glad that we did that. And visibility not only just for people in this community, especially for queer kids who have no choice but to live in this community because their parents live here,” she said.

“I believe that for the LGBTQ+ community, we take two steps forward and one step back and that’s how we do move forward. Ultimately, we do persevere, but it just takes time.”

One of the queer kids who showed up to the event was Poppy Thibault. The 14-year-old said her awareness of being bisexual began four years ago. She said it was an interesting and confusing time for her in determining her sexuality. She told her friends and family in February that she was bisexual and found them to be very accepting.

“But people aren’t always nice. People aren’t always nice either in the community, specifically guys are not always nice and accepting when they hear (you’re bisexual)…I like to quote my ex (boyfriend) (who said), ‘I’m a lustful sin.’ I was like, ‘Oh, well, then I will embrace my rainbow and infect you then. Because I’m proud to be what I am and who I am, so if that bothers you, then, yeah, goodbye. Leave.”

Thibault has been going to Springfield Pride since it began three years ago as her mom has been on the board since its inception. She said she loves Pride because she gets to meet other “Alphabet” people and there is no judgement allowing her to be herself.

“I’m very loud and proud and out about it and I’m very excited and very happy that I get to just now live my open life. And I’m very happy and excited because it’s a new chapter, and I’m very excited to start Grade 9 and be part of the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) and find kids and people who are like me and similar to me and just who believe in the same things that I do.”

“And I’m so happy to find people who will accept me and be my friend. I just love this. I just love Pride so much!”

Thibault’s message to kids her age is that you can be anything you want and it doesn’t matter who you are or what you are, as you get to choose.

“There’s always a choice. You don’t have to be labeled as one thing. You can, literally, I know this sounds crazy, but you can literally be whatever you want, especially in Pride…and I love that so much.”